Mahatma Gandhi
 He was born on the 2nd of October in 1869 and he died on
the 30th of January in 1948 living for the age of 78. He
wanted peace around the world. He wanted India to have
independence and to be able to flourish on it’s own in
small villages where they are not competing against one
another.
 This speech was given on 12 of January of 1948 and was
given to try to get independence to India. This speech was a
great push for freedom of India and which is what got the
movement going. For this he got imprisoned by Britain
then later freed.
 He was 13 years old when he was married to 14 year old
Kasturbai Makhanj, where he had 4 sons. He was
assassinated on 30th of January 1948 at the age of 78.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-
a0rLb7YHQ&feature=youtu.be
 The subject in SOAPSTONE stands for the main point
or idea. The subject of the speech is that India is
gaining it’s independence and the congress of India is
trying to get Britain to withdraw their men from India.
 “Nothing, however, should be done secretly. This is an
open rebellion. In this struggle secrecy is a sin. A free
man would not engage in a secret movement.”
 “India is without doubt the homeland of all the
Mussalmans inhabiting this country. Every
Mussalmans should therefore co-operate in the fight
for India’s freedom. The Congress does not belong to
any one class or community.”
 The occasion means in SOAPSTone is the time and place of
what happened for the speech to get made. A war started in
1939 between Britain and Germany, where also India was
also declared to be at war with Germany because they were
part of the British empire, but it was not with the consent
of the Indian people that India was dragged into the war.
 “If in the present crisis, when the earth is being scorched
by the flames of Himsa and crying for deliverance, I failed
to make use of the God given talent, God will not forgive
me and I shall be judged unjustly of the great gift. I must
act now. I may not hesitate and merely look on, when
Russia and China are threatened.”
 The audience in SOAPSTONE stands for who the
speech is directed to. He is trying to send a message to
all the people inhabiting India that it is time for
independence.
 “We cannot evoke the true spirit of sacrifice and
velour, so long as we are not free.”
 “It is to join a struggle for such democracy that I invite
you today. Once you realize this you will forget the
differences between the Hindus and Muslims, and
think of yourselves as Indians only, engaged in the
common struggle for independence.”
 The purpose in SOAPSTONE is simply why the author
is writing, or why the speaker is speaking. The purpose
of this speech was to start a spark of independence to
India and to break away from Britain's rule.
 “In the democracy which I have envisaged, a
democracy established by non-violence, there will be
equal freedom for all. Everybody will be his own
master.”
 “Our quarrel is not with the British people, we fight
their imperialism. The proposal for the withdrawal of
British power did not come out of anger.”
 The second S in SOAPSTone is Speaker, which means
the voice of who’s speaking. Gandhi a person of India
and a man of peace. Someone who wants the best of
India.
 “I have not changed in any fundamental respect. I
attach the same importance to non-violence that I did
then.”
 “As a matter of fact, I feel myself to be a greater friend
of the British now than ever before. One reason is that
they are today in distress. My very friendship,
therefore, demands that I should try to save them from
their mistakes.”
 The tone in SOAPSTONE is the words used by the
author or speaker. The tone was inspiring,
encouraging, peaceful, and powerful.
 “Then, there is the question of your attitude towards
the British. I have noticed that there is hatred towards
the British among the people. The people say they are
disgusted with their behavior. The people make no
distinction between British imperialism and the
British people.”
 He is saying we should not hate the British
people but there own government.
 “Ours is not a drive for power, but purely a non-violent fight for
India’s independence. In a violent struggle, a successful general
has been often known to effect a military coup and to set up a
dictatorship. But under the Congress scheme of things,
essentially non-violent as it is, there can be no room for
dictatorship. A non-violent soldier of freedom will covet nothing
for himself, he fights only for the freedom of his country. The
Congress is unconcerned as to who will rule, when freedom is
attained. The power, when it comes, will belong to the people of
India, and it will be for them to decide to whom it placed in the
entrusted.”
 In this long paragraph he is saying that they will
only fight for India’s independence not for there
own gain and that he will set up a democracy
government not a dictatorship. That the power of
India will be with the people of India.
 “I know the British Government will not be able to
withhold freedom from us, when we have made
enough self-sacrifice. We must, therefore, purge
ourselves of hatred. Speaking for myself, I can say that
I have never felt any hatred. As a matter of fact, I feel
myself to be a greater friend of the British now than
ever before.”
 Essentially Gandhi is stressing that the British
government will not stop India from becoming an
independent nation and will still remember the
British as a friend afterwards when it is done.
 “Let me explain my position clearly. God has vouchsafed to
me a priceless gift in the weapon of Ahimsa. I and my
Ahimsa are on our trail today. If in the present crisis, when
the earth is being scorched by the flames of Himsa and
crying for deliverance, I failed to make use of the God given
talent, God will not forgive me and I shall be judged
unjustly of the great gift. I must act now. I may not hesitate
and merely look on, when Russia and China are
threatened.”
 He is using it for saying that he can no longer look away
from what is going on and wants to change it. It is very
effective because he is saying that a higher authority will
punish him if he does not do this.
 “This hatred would even make them welcome the
Japanese. It is most dangerous. It means that they will
exchange one slavery for another. We must get rid of
this feeling. Our quarrel is not with the British people,
we fight their imperialism.”
 He wants to say that Indian’s citizens will not stay in
hate against the British people. They will fight for their
freedom not their people.
 It is very effective because he is giving people a reason
to not give in to hate but to fight imperialism.
“I believe that in the history of the world, there has not been a more
genuinely democratic struggle for freedom than ours. I read Carlyle’s
French Resolution while I was in prison, and Pandit Jawaharlal has told
me something about the Russian revolution. But it is my conviction
that inasmuch as these struggles were fought with the weapon of
violence they failed to realize the democratic ideal. In the democracy
which I have envisaged, a democracy established by non-violence,
there will be equal freedom for all. Everybody will be his own master. It
is to join a struggle for such democracy that I invite you today. Once
you realize this you will forget the differences between the Hindus and
Muslims, and think of yourselves as Indians only, engaged in the
common struggle for independence.”
 This very long paragraph says that he will not go wrong in making
democracy and saying that everyone in India struggles for
independence and should unite together.
 This was well placed and well established in his speech because he is
saying that we all need to unite and forget their differences.

 “Ours is not a drive for power, but purely a non-
violent fight for India’s independence. In a violent
struggle, a successful general has been often known to
effect a military coup and to set up a dictatorship. But
under the Congress scheme of things, essentially nonviolent as it is, there can be no room for dictatorship.
A non-violent soldier of freedom will covet nothing
for himself, he fights only for the freedom of his
country. The Congress is unconcerned as to who will
rule, when freedom is attained.”
 He uses violent many times to emphasize that he
believes in non violence and that it will solve nothing.
 “If in the present crisis, when the earth is being
scorched by the flames of Himsa and crying for
deliverance, I failed to make use of the God given
talent, God will not forgive me and I shall be judged
unjustly of the great gift. I must act now. I may not
hesitate and merely look on, when Russia and China
are threatened.”
 He used this to say that he will now try to get
independence and try to help China and Russia. It was
very effective because India is extremely religious and
using this will get more attention to it.
 “Ours is not a drive for power, but purely a non-violent





fight for India’s independence.”
He is saying that we will do a non-violent battle for
independence.
“We must get rid of this feeling. Our quarrel is not with
the British people, we fight their imperialism.”
He is trying to say we are only at war with their dictatorship
and not their people.
“Once you realize this you will forget the differences
between the Hindus and Muslims, and think of yourselves
as Indians only, engaged in the common struggle for
independence.”
Gandhi is saying that everyone in India needs to come
together for their independence and not fight each other.
 “The people make no distinction between British
imperialism and the British people. To them, the two
are one. This hatred would even make them welcome
the Japanese. It is most dangerous. It means that they
will exchange one slavery for another. We must get rid
of this feeling. Our quarrel is not with the British
people, we fight their imperialism.”
 He uses a metaphor of the war that is going on that we
do not need to blame it’s people but their government,
which is very effective since what is going on in the war
at the time.
 “God has vouchsafed to me a priceless gift in the
weapon of Ahimsa. I and my Ahimsa are on our trail
today. If in the present crisis, when the earth is being
scorched by the flames of Himsa and crying for
deliverance, I failed to make use of the God given
talent, God will not forgive me and I shall be judged
unjustly of the great gift.”
 He uses Ahimsa as a persons. He makes it seem it is a
person instead of a Bible. It is effective because India is
a very religious nation and will be very effective
because of this.
 The All-India Congress Committee proclaimed a
mass protest demanding what Gandhi called "an
orderly British withdrawal" from India.
 The British imprisoned all the congress members
and anyone who attend the speech.
 The Quit India campaign got crushed.
 The British said they will give independence after the
war.
 "Quit India Speech." Wikipedia. Wikimedia
Foundation, 04 June 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2013.
 Shouler, Kenneth, and Susai Anthony. "Hinduism."
Quit India Movement and Independence. N.p., n.d.
Web. 07 Apr. 2013.
 Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Gandhi - Biography of Mahatma
Gandhi." About.com 20th Century History. About.com
Guide, n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2013.